Anti-Bullying Forum Brings Legislators and Experts to Montclair State

Hosted by the office of Senator Lautenberg, forum kicks off University-wide week of events for “This is My Campus Week: Stop Bullying and Campus Violence.”

Photo: Mike Peters

The sponsor of New Jersey's "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights," Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle speaks at Montclair State University's Anti-Bullying Forum.

With upwards of 400 students, educators, and members of the
public in attendance, an anti-bullying forum featuring discussion by
legislators and experts in the field was held on February 7 at Montclair State
University’s Conference Center. Hosted by the office of U.S. Senator Frank R.
Lautenberg, the forum was the marquee event for the first day of a planned week
of awareness-building events scheduled to take place at the University.

Opening with a videotaped welcome from Senator Lautenberg,
who sent his regrets for not being able to attend, the forum featured remarks
from New Jersey Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, who sponsored the
state’s “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights,” and Steven
Goldstein, Chair and CEO of Garden State Equality.

A panel of experts, moderated by J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo,
Esq., adjunct professor at Montclair State’s Center for Child Advocacy, followed
covering topics such as “U.S. Department of Education Anti-Bullying
Initiatives,” “Cyber-Bullying and Internet Safety,” and “How the Anti-Bullying
Bill of Rights Affects You.”

The forum was part of Montclair State’s “This is My Campus
Week: Stop Bullying and Campus Violence,” a week of events to help raise
awareness of the issues of bullying, cyber-bullying, and campus violence. All
the events are open to the University community and to the public and a schedule
of the events is available at This
is My Campus Week.

The federal and state legislation dealing with bullying
issues is also available for viewing online: